Hello -

I need to Install an electric fuel pump, I purchased a nice Carter 6 - 8 psi 72 gph unit.

I have a bone stock 1978 Silver Anniversary L-48 Federal car, TH-350 3:55 gears that needs to be smogged next month in California, argh.

It is just a driver, broken glass T-Top, A/C removed cause it does not work and is not needed (I live in San Diego near the coast) nothing fancy.


Questions / Issues
1. Best place to install
2. I think I need to keep the mechanical unit intact cause I need a smog in May then I can block it off.
3. Thinking of putting a switch in the compartment behind the passenger seat.
4. I suspect I have to drop the tank again
5. I need a good place to mount it

So you may asking yourself, why does this crazy guy in San Diego need an electronic fuel pump?

Okay here goes..

At first the car would stumble at WOT, the issue became worse and worse over the course of a year or two and now will hardly drive at all.

Silly Stuff I did in vain to fix it..

The carb was very suspect so I sent it to Lars and had it rebuilt, afterwards it drove and idled much better but at WOT it stumbled.

The issue got worse and worse

I noticed it did not seem to get enough gas, so I got a new fuel pump and purchased the funky 'S' shaped hose, there was an obvious kink in the rubber hose.

The issue persisted.

I dropped the tank, replaced the hoses and replaced the sock, by the way the tank looked pretty clean.

The issue persisted.

I could easily blow air to make sure the lines were not plugged

It turns out to be the fuel pump eccentric, the push rod hardly moves, the eccentric looks worn. I don't have the time (smog due in a couple weeks) and energy right now to pull the timing cover off and see exactly what is wrong.

I think I am not the only C-3 only to cry 'why me' and how did the eccentric go rogue?

 

That lobe is on the cam shaft. Your whole cam may be dying as well.

 

BTW, Calif. smog will not care about what pump you use. Just original smog equipment and sniffer test.

 

That would not be good, I just need to get this car running then smogged then move it to the garage. Then I can swap a cam if necessary down the road.

I have been concerned about metal bits so I will need to change the oil too.

 

They won't check the return line?

 

Nope. Just pressure test the cap and tank. You will need to tie it in, or cap it off.
You could use the old 69 fuel filter with a return.

 

Your cam may well look like this




In which case the valve lobes may be OK. I couldn't believe the car would even run when it got down this close to completely round. That's a lot of metal in the motor but no harm was done when I replaced the cam. I assume the oil filter caught most everything.

I attribute this to that lobe not being hardened and my switching to Mobil One which did not contain an adequate amount of ZDDP. Mine was a roller cam so that may have helped.

It really shouldn't happen again if you install a new cam and use the proper oil. There are brass tipped pushrods available as well as some sort of poly material. My memory is hazy on the latter but no problems after I put the brass tipped rod in with my new cam.

And yes an electric fuel pump was a temporary workaround for me. I installed a Holley red top (I think) somewhere up front. Electric pumps pump better than they suck so it is better to mount near the tank but the car did run. Eventually I put a different motor and an electric near the back. I still have the pump if you want to buy it (cheap, maybe just postage and $1 for my time).

Here's my ultimate solution

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I don't understand something, if the eccentric goes bad how would affect the cam lobes?

 

I didn't say that. They're independent. They do however share the same environment, particularly oil, and are made out of the same material. My speculation is that the cam supplier, Crower, didn't harden the fuel pump eccentric, and the change in the oil I was using didn't provide any protection.

In your case, what? You haven't described the particulars, stock cam or aftermarket, what type of oil, steel pushrod or other. You did a nice job getting to the bottom of things, I remember a lot of WTF's as I was getting there.

I don't think pulling the timing cover provides any visibility to the eccentric. I think all you see is the end of the cam. But if the pushrod isn't moving that pretty much seals the diagnosis.

 

Gotcha - thanks a lot

motor is stock with 103,000 miles

 

Instead of taking the time and hassles of setting up a new electric pump system, I would concentrate on a cam swap.

 

Okay I got it
My new plans...

1. Put in fuel pump to get the car smogged, must be done asap
2. After smog - change cam, lifters, water pump and timing chain

I just don't think I can get the cam swapped in the next two weeks when the smog is due.

 

I would find out what caused the excessive wear...like how is oil supplied to that eccentric. Maybe a plugged oil passage or something?

 

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...tric&FORM=IGRE I am not sure that it is your problem.It would have to be worn a lot to cause a no pump .http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...=RESTAB&ajf=70

 

That first picture shows something other than a Chevy. I had a Pontiac with a bolted on eccentric. It sheared off in the middle of Nevada at 135 MPH. Lots of things to do in Tonapah.


Look at the picture of the Chevy cam. The fuel pump lobe is just one more solid cam lobe. Of course it is important to get to root cause. No discussion as yet as to possibles but this is not a common problem. In my case I had a clean relatively newly rebuilt motor AND Mobil One which I believe was the problem. My understanding is that Mobil One limits the additives as they can corrupt the catalytic convertors of today. You want lubricants that were appropriate from the time the engine was built. Today's may be better but maybe not. I found out the hard way.

 

fuel pump on lower radiator support.


You might also want to mount the fp on the front side of the radiator support. This is the lowest point on the car, allows gas to flow to the intake on the fp by gravity and is away from the hot exhaust system on the rear of the car. Requires drilling two holes for the gas lines and installing rubber grommets.

 

It's just a temporary anyway. I mounted my temporary on the inner fender well near the mechanical pump.Somewhat fail safe in an accident.

Just an editorial comment, the beauty of the mechanical pump is if the motor stops, the flow of fuel stops. In an accident, that is a fail safe. I added an oil pressure switch to the power to my pump to achieve somewhat the same effect.

 

Replace the pump and rod for Smog to get two more years. Then you can focus on the engine overhaul.

 

FYI - Your 78 gas tank will accept the 82 fuel sender designed for an in tank electric fuel pump. All you'll have to do is wire/relay it.